She actually took over mid-year, after our previous interesting teacher quit (unfortunately I don't have his photo). He was a freemason, and apparently pretty high up in their hierarchy. He had three jobs: our calc/physics teacher, manager at a gym, and martial arts instructor...

at some point in HS I got into lifting weights, so I joined his gym and he assigned me a personal trainer for free. I also took some ninjutsu classes from him and his friend at their dojo downtown, where they gave us some weapons training and brutal physical conditioning classes.

I remember one time Mr. Lynch, our history teacher who knew Judo, bragged that he could beat Mr. Leonard (calc teacher) in a fight. They arranged a match in the gym. It wasn't close -- Mr. Leonard tapped him out fairly quickly...

Unfortunately, one morning Mr. Leonard lost control of his motorcycle, passing away at the young age of 28. RIP. I don't know if there's a lesson from today's post...perhaps just that mathematicians can have a diverse range of non-math interests!

@minilek For a moment I thought you were joking 😂

@ec0n1st Not joking!

@minilek At All Saints? A virgin islander or transplant?

@akilbello Yea, at All Saints. Transplant, only down there for one year. She came down to teach 3rd grade, then after the other calculus teacher quit, they had her move from 3rd grade to high school, I guess because she already had a Master's in math at that time. Next year she moved to DR.

@minilek How did you ever pass calculus?!?!?!

@minilek Hey cool! When I was in junior high, the math team coach at the high school that let me practice with them was a former state-wide beauty queen (I forget which pageant). I’m grateful to math team sponsors from later years as well, but she was the most helpful one mathematically.

@minilek 🤺

@minilek Breaking all the stereotypes

@minilek This is what makes America great!

@minilek "Look at these nice curves!" 🤣 "Am I smoother than a sinusoid?" 🤣 "What's the area of my annulus?" 🤣

@minilek I’m guessing you guys paid a lot of attention in class.